I have a friend that constantly questions any assertion I make that begins with the phrase "they said .....". His usual question in such an instance is "who is they?", I often find myself without an answer. Merely because I did not take the time to learn their name, or relevance to the issue at hand. "They" may have been someone on television, or radio, talking about any given subject that interests me. Unfortunately, I found myself so caught up in what "they" were saying that I did not catch their name, and subsequently what if any position "they" may have been in to make any statement about which "they" were speaking about.
More recently I have been making an effort to actually gather more information about who "they" is. While doing so I have made some startling discoveries!
* "they" sometimes are not even associated with whom, or what they are speaking about.
* "they" are sometimes also repeating only things that "un-named sources" have said.
* "they" may make one assertion on one day, and take an opposite stance on the very next day.
* "they" are often politicians, but more than likely are people who speak for politicians.
My study, while ongoing is slowly coming to the conclusion that "they" are less likely to know what "they" are talking about , than I am to remember who "they" are, and why I should take "their" word for it!
There may be more on this subject later, as I am now expanding my investigation into such memorable folk as "them" , "those others" and eventually "him-her", and "we".
I am afraid this is bigger than "all of us"
2 comments:
Unfortunately, the identity of "they" is vital to any debate. There are so many "they"s out there that are just talking smack -- especially if it's on a blog -- that it's critical for perspective and credibility.
You make some very critical points about what "they" say, and I agree with them all.
Hang in there, and you'll see that when you remember who "they" is, you just might win an argument when you drop the name of someone your debater finds highly credible. At that point, the debate gets really fun!
Can you picture, "He really said that??? Wow!"
Thanks for the advice X!
Please never quote me, as I am unreliable. Just point, and laugh if you must.
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